The present invention relates to a device for treating substrates in a fluid container.
Devices of this kind are, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,184 or from German Patent Application 44 13 077. In these devices a fluid is introduced via an inlet opening, respectively, a diffusor, into the fluid container and flows out via an overflow at the upper end of the fluid container. When using a single inflow opening at the bottom of the fluid container, the amount of fluid per time unit entering the fluid container as well as the velocity of the fluid flowing into the container is limited. Especially, it is not possible to achieve within the fluid container uniform flow conditions in order to uniformly supply the substrates or wafers contained within the fluid container for treatment across the entire substrate width or surface with the fluid. When using a diffusor, it is possible to distribute the inflowing fluid within the fluid container more evenly across the substrate surfaces, however, the amount of fluid flowing into the fluid container per time unit and especially the inflow velocity of the fluid is greatly limited when using diffusors.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for treating substrates in a fluid container which allows for optimal flow conditions within the fluid container and which also allows for great throughput, respectively, flow velocities.